Nadine Martin Posted March 3, 2012 Report Share Posted March 3, 2012 Hi, i have always heard that you should let a bitch have at least one season before getting her spayed, but have never really looked into this. Having just did a little bit of research i have come to find many people saying the complete opposite and saying things such as - More health benefits from spaying before the first heat. Greatly reduces the chance of certain cancers, plus mammary cancer, and rules out the possibility of a pyometra, a life threatening condition that often needs emergency surgery. The only risk is from the anaesthetic, but it is a routine operation. I just wondered what most people on here seem to think is better for the female? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arooroomom Posted March 3, 2012 Report Share Posted March 3, 2012 It is a preference of mine to spay females prior to their 1st heat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marakai Posted March 3, 2012 Report Share Posted March 3, 2012 I done our girl at 1.8yrs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nadine Martin Posted March 3, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2012 Many thanks for the replys muchly appreciated. Was wondering because we have two pups the same age, but of opposite sex, we do not want to let another accidental pregnancy happen whatsoever ( which is a very long story but i can explain if anybody is interested.) They are both 5 months and 8 days old currently. and we have the boy booked in to be neutered this coming monday. However when i was just researching out of curiosity i read alot of people saying a male should be neutered around 6 months but also read alot saying a male should not be neutered untill at least over a year old, and that if they are neutered too early i've read such things as - It has been discovered, that neutering a dog before they are fully grown and developed, will affect them in the long run. Dogs neutered before they are fully grown, often become lanky and have weak bone structure. And if their hormones are not fully matured, this can lead to behavioural issues. / Up to you when you have your dog castrated but bear in mind that sex hormones affect much more than the desire to mate. They affect bone development and structure - dogs done too early can be much taller and weedier than their entire counterparts, they also never make the muscle mass of an unaltered male. There is evidence that dogs castrated before maturity are more susceptible to some cancers, including bone cancer and more liable to have hip dysplasia. It can also seriously alter coat texture and both the quality and quantity of coat. I have had no experience of having a male neutered young as i had Kai done at around a year and 3months old.. So having read all of this about having a male neutered ( at a young age ), i started researching when to get a bitch spayed at the best possible time. I am now starting to lean towards the idea that maybe getting the female spayed would be the better option.. any opinions on this? many thanks again!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanya-Meika&Keeva Posted March 3, 2012 Report Share Posted March 3, 2012 Both our male and female were done at 6 months of age. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sutsibe Posted March 3, 2012 Report Share Posted March 3, 2012 It is very common in the US for both males and females to be neutered/spayed at or before 6 months of age. I've had several that I've neutered at right around 6 months, and haven't had any problems. Additionally, in my puppy contracts, I specify that all my pet puppies must be spayed or neutered young, and haven't ever had a report of any problems with them. To me, the fact that if a female is spayed before her first heat, she has almost no chance of mammary tumors, she can't get uterine or ovarian cancers since she doesn't have those organs, AND she can't get pyometra (an infection of the uterus which can cause a severe infection which can kill them if not caught and treated quickly) with no uterus, makes my decision very simple... If I decide I'm not going to show and possibly breed a bitch (and similar arguments for my males), I have them spayed (or neutered) young. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tams Teeko and Keeta Posted March 3, 2012 Report Share Posted March 3, 2012 With neutering a male we were advised by 2 different vets to wait until Teeko was cocking his leg more or less consistently as it is a sign that they have reached sexual maturity. My understanding is that waiting until after a year can impact on their behaviour...whic is often what people dont want....but there are many people who have them done at 6 months. As for size and growth....well....Teeko was done at 9 months and he is 23 inches tall and a heft 26kg...so, his growth was fine. Keeta was done yesterday and we opted for before her first heat as that is both my preference and our vets preference due to the research on increased chances of mammary cancer with each season. As for having the 2.....erm.....i'd say think about the logistics of post op. You know your dogs. Would it be easier to have them both in a post op haze and on limited movement for upto 2 weeks (the girls recovery time will be longer) or will it be easier to have one post op and watching the other like a hawk. Also consider having 2 cone-heads running around. Is that easy to manage. My friend had her 2 done at the same time with no problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nadine Martin Posted March 3, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2012 Thank you again for the replies everyone. From what i read beforehand about the bitch having less chance of developing cancer etc if she gets done before her first heat, is very interesting and of course is making me sway now to getting her done Monday instead of the male. However from what you have all said about the males being done around 6 months being fine ( as i was a bit worried due to some people saying different stuff ) I may just wait a few more weeks so he is nearer to the 6 month age, or untill he is cropping his leg, whichever comes first. But i'm definatly thinking of having the bitch done first now. Many thanks for everyones replies, just needed a little advice so thank you its muchly appreciated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BingBlaze n Skyla Posted March 3, 2012 Report Share Posted March 3, 2012 i waited till skyla was 2 years old before getting her spayed - ive heard its better to wait till they are fully matured before getting them done - so far shes coping really well with it (she was spayed yesterday) i think id have had a harder time with her if she was done as a pup as shes very chilled and laid back now n isnt hyper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nadine Martin Posted March 3, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2012 i waited till skyla was 2 years old before getting her spayed - ive heard its better to wait till they are fully matured before getting them done - so far shes coping really well with it (she was spayed yesterday) i think id have had a harder time with her if she was done as a pup as shes very chilled and laid back now n isnt hyper Thanks for the reply, that is another thing i have heard, but for both sexes - about better to wait untill being fully matured, but then i also read alot saying the opposite lol! Was getting confusing, hence my thread on here glad Skyla is coping okay and it all went well . I am swaying towards getting her spayed young now though just because of the increased risk of things the more heats she has. It's very interesting reading everyone's take on it, so thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BingBlaze n Skyla Posted March 3, 2012 Report Share Posted March 3, 2012 Thanks for the reply, that is another thing i have heard, but for both sexes - about better to wait untill being fully matured, but then i also read alot saying the opposite lol! Was getting confusing, hence my thread on here glad Skyla is coping okay and it all went well . I am swaying towards getting her spayed young now though just because of the increased risk of things the more heats she has. It's very interesting reading everyone's take on it, so thank you we got blaze done not long before his 2nd birthday aswell , he coped really well with it too and hasnt had any problems i do know sum1 who had their bitch done n had left it till she was more mature n she had the start of the pyometra infection forming but its not common in younger bitches to get it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nadine Martin Posted March 3, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2012 we got blaze done not long before his 2nd birthday aswell , he coped really well with it too and hasnt had any problems i do know sum1 who had their bitch done n had left it till she was more mature n she had the start of the pyometra infection forming but its not common in younger bitches to get it After looking up online ( before posting here ) as all was set to have Buddy neutered on Monday, and reading some people saying 6 months was too soon and can cause problems, this was my concern, so i was gonna suggest * as he isn't actually my dog * that we wait untill he is older as you did with Blaze, but from what a few people have said on here, it's re-assured me that 6 months is okay. However as i am leaning towards getting the bitch done first now, i have no idea if buddy will be at 6 months or maybe a bit later. How was Blaze after you got him done, was he back to himself the day after? As i've read alot of people say it takes a few days for their dog to go back to normal, but when i had kai done ( had him done just before xmas last year ) he just slept on my bed for a few hours then seemed to be back to normal!lol! Oh that's interesting, was the dog okay as they caught it early? I did read someone saying they had their westie neutered when she was matured, and then she had to have an emergency operation due to the Pyometra infection thing and almost died! scared me! lol. But glad to hear Skyla is doing well =] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emma Posted March 3, 2012 Report Share Posted March 3, 2012 We got bear spayed about three weeks ago now, she was seven months. From what I could research there are pros and cons to both age groups, probably why you find so many contradicting views on the subject. There isn't really a right or wrong, just comes down to personal preference and judging what you think is in the best interests for Your dog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nadine Martin Posted March 3, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2012 We got bear spayed about three weeks ago now, she was seven months. From what I could research there are pros and cons to both age groups, probably why you find so many contradicting views on the subject. There isn't really a right or wrong, just comes down to personal preference and judging what you think is in the best interests for Your dog. Thanks for the reply. I was sure before i did any research that waiting untill after a first season for the bitch was best, however i had no idea there was so many opposing views due to risk of so many things. So it's very interesting to read people's personal opinions on the subject. How is your girl, i'm guessing she coped just fine? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emma Posted March 3, 2012 Report Share Posted March 3, 2012 She's great now but did bleed from her stitches intermittently for 3 days. We think she snagged them on the carpet, four days after the op. It hasn't changed my mind, something like that could of happened to her at any age. If I had to do it again, I would still make the same choice ( minus the carpet, lol) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nadine Martin Posted March 3, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2012 She's great now but did bleed from her stitches intermittently for 3 days. We think she snagged them on the carpet, four days after the op. It hasn't changed my mind, something like that could of happened to her at any age. If I had to do it again, I would still make the same choice ( minus the carpet, lol) Glad to hear she is doing good , shame about the bleeding from her stitches bless her. But i do agree that could happen at any age Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hyshqa Posted March 3, 2012 Report Share Posted March 3, 2012 Kiska was spayed 3 days ago and she's 1 year 4 months. I decided to wait until she had been through her first season before getting it done to ensure she was fully matured as I heard that if you get them done too early they can keep a puppy-like mentality due to the lack of adult hormones, and that it can stunt their growth. Now that she no longer has a uterus, the only increased risk is for mammary tumours but as she has only had the one season this is a minimal risk and to me is outweighed by the risks of doing it too early, too late, or not doing it at all. I'll always let any bitches I have go through their first season, and any dogs I'll wait until at very least a year old, again to make sure they're fully grown and matured. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leyka&Diva Posted March 3, 2012 Report Share Posted March 3, 2012 i got one of my girls done on tuesday she was 21months my other girls have come into season before i could get then done one is 8 and a half months and the other is 1 year old they will be getting spayed in june/july time but i wanted them done before they had seasons x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nadine Martin Posted March 3, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2012 Again, many thanks for everybodys replies nice to see everyones POV on it.I did like the point about just having the one season, so she is fully matured, but the risks are increased, although still very unlikely for mammary tumours. I do keep swaying one way then the other at the moment, but it's all very interesting to read and is helping me alot so thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emma Posted March 3, 2012 Report Share Posted March 3, 2012 Kiska was spayed 3 days ago and she's 1 year 4 months. I decided to wait until she had been through her first season before getting it done to ensure she was fully matured as I heard that if you get them done too early they can keep a puppy-like mentality due to the lack of adult hormones' date=' and that it can stunt their growth. Now that she no longer has a uterus, the only increased risk is for mammary tumours but as she has only had the one season this is a minimal risk and to me is outweighed by the risks of doing it too early, too late, or not doing it at all. I'll always let any bitches I have go through their first season, and any dogs I'll wait until at very least a year old, again to make sure they're fully grown and matured.[/quote'] Aha, it's been in the back of my mind for a couple of days now to find out how kiska's doing. Is she back to her usual self now? Sorry to change the topic, won't hijack this thread: i promise! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nadine Martin Posted March 3, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2012 Aha, it's been in the back of my mind for a couple of days now to find out how kiska's doing. Is she back to her usual self now? Sorry to change the topic, won't hijack this thread: i promise! i was actually thinking the same thing! i completly forgot to ask sorry i sound so rude, how is she? as i remember the thread about her being rushed for surgery. is she okay now?? and lol dw about it it's not hijacking, i actually hijacked someones thread recently and felt well bad after! i didn't realise how rude i had been lol! Hope everyone's good Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hyshqa Posted March 3, 2012 Report Share Posted March 3, 2012 She's doing much better I'll make a new thread once I've had lunch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BingBlaze n Skyla Posted March 3, 2012 Report Share Posted March 3, 2012 After looking up online ( before posting here ) as all was set to have Buddy neutered on Monday, and reading some people saying 6 months was too soon and can cause problems, this was my concern, so i was gonna suggest * as he isn't actually my dog * that we wait untill he is older as you did with Blaze, but from what a few people have said on here, it's re-assured me that 6 months is okay. However as i am leaning towards getting the bitch done first now, i have no idea if buddy will be at 6 months or maybe a bit later. How was Blaze after you got him done, was he back to himself the day after? As i've read alot of people say it takes a few days for their dog to go back to normal, but when i had kai done ( had him done just before xmas last year ) he just slept on my bed for a few hours then seemed to be back to normal!lol! Oh that's interesting, was the dog okay as they caught it early? I did read someone saying they had their westie neutered when she was matured, and then she had to have an emergency operation due to the Pyometra infection thing and almost died! scared me! lol. But glad to hear Skyla is doing well =] vets will do it 6 months onwards- its really personal preference Blaze was fine he ate as soon as we put a bowl of chicken infront of him , and he wouldnt go out the back to pee so i had to take him for a walk he knew he couldnt go up the stairs or jump around tho but was happy enough to just chill out nothing wrong with him yeh shes still on crate rest till her stitches come out but shes fine they caught it early enough she just has a slightly bigger wound because of the infection Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nadine Martin Posted March 3, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2012 vets will do it 6 months onwards- its really personal preference Blaze was fine he ate as soon as we put a bowl of chicken infront of him , and he wouldnt go out the back to pee so i had to take him for a walk he knew he couldnt go up the stairs or jump around tho but was happy enough to just chill out nothing wrong with him yeh shes still on crate rest till her stitches come out but shes fine they caught it early enough she just has a slightly bigger wound because of the infection Yeah from reading everyones views, as somebody said and hit the nail on the head, its all just personal preference as there seems to be pros/cons to both age groups. its just interesting seeing what everybody personally does . awwwww bless him:) Kai's dad was called Blaze, i love the name.. i actually nearly called Kai it ( and this was before i found out his fathers name! ) haha hes a lovely looking dog. as is bingo:D. Bingo is a staffy right? i love Staffys . awww bless her. and glad the other dog was okay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BingBlaze n Skyla Posted March 3, 2012 Report Share Posted March 3, 2012 Yeah from reading everyones views, as somebody said and hit the nail on the head, its all just personal preference as there seems to be pros/cons to both age groups. its just interesting seeing what everybody personally does . awwwww bless him:) Kai's dad was called Blaze, i love the name.. i actually nearly called Kai it ( and this was before i found out his fathers name! ) haha hes a lovely looking dog. as is bingo:D. Bingo is a staffy right? i love Staffys . awww bless her. and glad the other dog was okay thanks yeh Bings is a staffy - well half staffy half whippet but u can only tell he is whippet cuz he has long legs n can run like a rocket lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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